Day 19 concludes Chapter 14, Peaceful Practices, and begins Chapter 15, The Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground.
Having last month greeted the many thousands of billions of Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas who sprang up from underground, we conclude today’s portion of Chapter 15, The Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground.
Those Bodhisattvas had four leaders: 1. Superior-Practice, 2. Limitless-Practice, 3. Pure-Practice, and 4. Steadily-Established-Practice. These four [great] Bodhisattvas were the highest leaders [of those Bodhisattvas]. In the presence of the great multitude, they joined their hands together towards Śākyamuni Buddha, looked up at him, and inquired after him saying:
“World-Honored One! Are you in good health? Are you peaceful or not? Are the living beings, whom you are to save, ready to receive your teachings or not? Do they not fatigue you?’
Thereupon the four great Bodhisattvas sang in gāthās:
World-Honored One, are you peaceful?
Are you in good health?
Are you not tired
With teaching the living beings?
Are they ready
To receive your teaching,
Or are they not?
Do they not fatigue you?
Continuing with the content from Miraculous Tales of the Lotus Sutra from Ancient Japan, we learn of Priest Jin’yū of Echigo Province.